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Charan J. Sandhu is a partner in the firm's Technology and Intellectual Property Transactions practice and concentrates in the areas of complex technology transactions and intellectual property. She represents clients in matters relating to technology transfer, the development, acquisition, use and commercial exploitation of technology and intellectual property. She has extensive experience in a wide variety of complex technology transactions, including technology development and licensing agreements, joint ventures, strategic alliances, professional services agreements, outsourcing arrangements, distribution agreements, and settlements of IP litigation.

Ms. Sandhu has received a number of awards for her expertise and service including being ranked by Chambers USA as a leading lawyer for Technology & Outsourcing, by Legal 500 as a leading lawyer in the field of intellectual property and being inducted into the YWCA’s Academy of Women Leaders for her outstanding professional achievement, civic commitment and leadership. Ms. Sandhu was included in IAM Licensing 250’s “World’s Leading Patent & Technology Licensing Lawyers” in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, Ms. Sandhu was recommended for licensing in IAM Patent 1000, recognized as a Financial Transactions Life Science Star by LMG Life Sciences, and featured in Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 11th Annual WomenWorthWatching® issue. Ms. Sandhu is a member of the firm’s Diversity Committee. She is also actively involved with the firm’s pro bono efforts and regularly represents Kids in Need of Defense.

Ms. Sandhu is a member of the State Bar of New York and is admitted to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Representative Experience

• General Electric Company
  • Representation in connection with the development of policies, procedures and template license and development agreements for GE’s Global Research Center.
  • Representation in connection with the creation of a clean technology partnership and financial joint venture with the Government of Abu Dhabi. The partnership encompassed a broad range of cutting-edge clean and renewable energy initiatives, including development of R&D capacity in Abu Dhabi and collaboration on Abu Dhabi's world-leading alternative energy project in Masdar City, a carbon neutral, zero-waste city currently under development.
  • On-going representation in connection with a proposed technology joint venture with Aviation Industry Corporation of China to develop and market integrated avionics systems for commercial aircraft customers, including multiple inter-related technology transfer, license and other IP agreements.

• Apple – Representing Apple on a variety of intellectual property transactions.
• Microsoft – Representing Microsoft on a variety of IT and intellectual property transactions.
• Sanofi – Representation in connection with potential acquisitions.
• Exelixis – On-going counseling in connection with various drug development collaborations.
• Lantheus Medical Imaging – On-going representation of Lantheus Medical Imaging in connection with various supply, manufacturing, licenses and marketing agreements, including negotiations with Covidien, Cardinal Health, and a subsidiary of Boehringer Ingelheim.
• PDL Biopharma – Represented and counseled PDL Biopharma in connection with its $25 million patent litigation settlement agreement and license agreement with Alexion Pharmaceuticals regarding PDL’s patents related to the humanization of antibodies and Alexion’s humanized antibody, Soliris (eculizumab).
• Applied Biosystems – Represented Applied Biosystems in various settlement, licensing and transactional matters.
• Arrow International Limited – Represented Arrow International Limited and certain of its affiliates in a transaction to collaborate with King Pharmaceuticals to commercialize novel formulations of Altace (ramipril).
• General Electric Company and GE Healthcare – Represented General Electric Company and GE Healthcare on the sale of a majority stake in its Homeland Protection business to The Safran Group for $580 million.
• Estée Lauder – Represented Estée Lauder in a joint venture with Allergen for the development and distribution of a line of product marketed through dermatologists, plastic surgeons and other doctors
• Warner Chilcott – Represented Warner Chilcott in analysis of development and co-promotion agreements.
• MedPointe Pharmaceuticals – Represented Medpointe in various licensing and transactional matters.
• CBS Corp. – Represented CBS Corp. in the $1.8 billion acquisition of CNET Networks, Inc.
• Yildiz Holding AS – Represented Yildiz Holding AS in the $850 million acquisition of Godiva Chocolatier Inc. from Campbell Soup Company.
• Avista Capital Partners – Advised Avista Capital Partners in connection with the $525 million acquisition of Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging division from Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
• Bertelsmann AG(Case No. 06-15886 (9th Cir. 2006); Case No. 06-72515 (9th Cir. 2006); MDL 1369 (MHP) (N.D. Cal. 2003) – Litigation over the former Napster service; successful settlements in the single largest copyright infringement case in U.S. history.
• CBS Corporation - Represented CBS in the division of Viacom Inc. into "New Viacom" and CBS Corporation.

Representative Publications and Presentations

• Presentation on "Technology and IP Focused Joint Ventures, Collaborations and Alliances" (New York, Spring 2009)
• Technology And IP Focused Joint Ventures, Collaborations & Alliances – Part I (June 2010, The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel)
• Patent Law Update: In re Bilski Federal Circuit Restricts Scope of Patentable Processes (November 11, 2008, Weil Briefing)
• Licensing: Best Practices and Strategies in the New Legal Environment (Cupertino, CA, August 12, 2008)
• Quanta: The Supreme Court Expands the Scope of Patent Exhaustion and Redefines Patent Licensing Principles (Fall 2008, Patent Strategy and Management)
• Patent Law Update: Quanta Computer, Inc., et al. v. LG Electronics, Inc., Supreme Court Expands Patent Exhaustion (June 20, 2008, Weil Briefing)
• Patent Case Law Updates – Quanta (June 2008, National South Asian Bar Association Convention)
• eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C.: New Standard for Permanent Injunctions in Patent Cases (Fall 2006, New York State Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section Newsletter)
• A New Test for Conception of Biotech Inventions? (January 22, 2002, New York Law Journal)

• Bar Admissions
  California State; New York State

• Education
  UC Berkeley (B.S., 1993); Georgetown Univ Law Center (J.D., 1998)